Re-Awakened Love
by Woskis
Summary: An adult Steven, depressed over Connie's death, starts hanging out with Pearl. It starts out as just them being with each other to Pearl discovering feelings she had repressed, feelings over Steven.
1. Chapter 1: RIP Connie Universe

It's over 80 years in the future. Steven is in a graveyard with Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl.

They're standing in front of a gravestone.

"In loving memory of Connie Maheswaran Universe. 200X December 3rd - 209X September 15th."

Steven was trying his best at holding his tears in, he had tried to find a way for her to live with him, he even suggested forming Stevonnie just to keep her alive.

She kept refusing all of his offers, and preferred to have a peaceful death with a happy life rather than staying alive as a fusion.

Steven, old and grey-haired, closed his eyes.

He was engulfed in a pink light, and he grew in size.

He was back in his adult form.

He looked at the gravestone and kneeled down, placing a bundle of roses, but he didn't stand up after they were placed.

Tears were starting to fall out of his eyes, he covered his eyes with his left hand.

The gems slowly approached him. Garnet reached him first and stood behind him, with Pearl kneeling by his right side and Amethyst standing on his left.

Steven was muttering something to himself, the gems didn't hear him.

Pearl raised her arm and placed her left hand Steven's right shoulder.

Steven removed his hand from his face, with his cheeks covered in tears.

"I... I don't know what to do now, without her."

The last few years were heavy on Steven. As a request of Connie, Steven aged alongside with Connie, but on missions he had his adult form.

He spent less time on missions, and when he was on a mission he couldn't focus which heavily affected the team's performance.

It didn't help with the fact that most of his friends have died the last few years too. Lars, Sadie, Ronaldo, Sour Cream, Jenny, Buck and so many others have all died while he's still alive, all because of the gem on his bellybutton.

"I... I can only hope she can rest in peace."

Amethyst hugged him from her side, with Pearl hugging him from her side, and Garnet hugging them all behind.

3 weeks later, Steven was lying face-up on the sofa in their beach house, looking straight up at the ceiling.

He hadn't followed the gems on any missions, he simply stayed at the house doing nothing.

Pearl was walking by, she was getting increasingly worried over Steven's depression, she knew that he couldn't hold the position as their leader if he's not doing anything at all.

"Pearl..."

Pearl stopped, and looked over at Steven. He had turned towards her.

"Yes, Steven?"

"Why... Why must humans be mortal?"

Pearl didn't know what to say, she wasn't very good with talking about emotions or humans. She was really hoping that Garnet were with her to talk to him, she was good with human emotions. She walked towards the couch which Steven was lying on.

"I, uh... It's because of humans are organic and can't con-"

Steven got up from the couch and looked at Pearl with a sad face.

"I know how they're mortal, I just want to know why. I just want to know why, Pearl. Why couldn't Connie be here with me right now? Why doe-"

"Steven, I'm sorry about Connie, I know you're really sad right now but I don't know! I don't know why humans have to have such a sh- why humans don't live for very long. I wish I knew, I wish I could tell you why but I don't know, Steven. But you're not alone Steven, Connie was a good friend to all of us and we all miss her. You don't have to suffer her loss alone, Steven. I'm here with you, Steven."

Steven was silent. He looked straight into Pearl's eyes, and then he lunged himself towards her, hugging her tightly.

Pearl was surprised over his sudden movement, but she hugged him back.

He whispered something into her ear.

"Please don't ever leave me, Pearl."


	2. Chapter 2: A Night Out

Two months had passed since. Steven was still feeling down, but Pearl tried her best to spend as much time as she could with him. Garnet and Amethyst tried helping him out too. Steven was still depressed over Connie unfortunately, but he did follow the gems on a few missions. One evening, Pearl was sitting on the couch reading the news. She didn't find anything interesting, so she put the newspaper down. She was surprised by Steven standing right in front of her.

"Uh, hi Pearl. Can I ask you a question?" He was holding his hands together in front of him, waiting for an answer.

"Well of course, Steven. What is it?" She answered back. He took a quick look at the newspaper on the table then looked back into her eyes.

"Would you like to go out and… do something, around town?" Pearl wondered why he'd want to go out with her, she understood human culture the least out of the other gems even after all these years.

"Oh, alright, sure. Where would you like to go?" She accepted. She knew that it was best not to refuse his offer.

"Anywhere!" Steven looked at her with his big smile, his smile that looked so much like Rose's. He took her and, and they walked out of the beach house, towards Beach City together. They went to all sorts of fun places, from karaoke bars to the arcade.

By the time it was midnight, the two were sitting close to each other on a bench on the pier, exhausted by today's events. Steven took his arm around her.

"Today was really, really fun, Pearl. I wish we could do this more often" Steven said and looked at her. She looked up at him, blushed then looked away, and replied.

"It was fun to be with you, too. You're a good singer" Pearl admitted to him. She thought of herself as being great at singing, until they went to the karaoke bar.

They both walked back to the beach house, holding hands. When they reached the entrance, Steven put his right hand on her left shoulder, stopping her.

"Pearl, can we do this again, some other time?" He asked her. She turned around, facing him. He looked at her with big eyes. She put on a smile and replied to him.

"Oh, of course, Steven!" She told him. He started smiling, then he pulled her in for a tight embrace. She only responded by hugging him back. She had a reason for doing all of this for him. She, too, had lost someone she loved, and what she did was spend time only with herself, which only made her sadder and sadder. It wasn't until she started to care for Steven when she was starting to feel better. Pearl knew she had to be there for Steven when he was feeling down, she just knew it. She didn't want him to be sad, she thought as she replayed those words she said when Steven found out that they bought out the last Cookie Cats…

"…All that matters is that Steven is happy…" even after all these years, she still believed in those words. When he was crying, she would always offer her shoulder for him. She would always love him, she would always care for him, and she would always help him out.


End file.
